Did MLB change mechanics?
 

Yankees v Red Sox, top 8th with two outs, R2/R3. With a four umpire crew U2 would typically be in deep B. Tonight in C BEHIND F6, two steps or so onto the outfield grass (Infield was not in).

This was the old American League mechanic, changed many years back. Neither my MLBUM or PBUC Blue Book have this as a current mechanic. Anyone have an update I may have missed?

We used this mechanic in the playoffs in the pro league I work in. It is only with R2 or R2 and R3 with 2 outs. U2 still has pick off responsibility at 2nd.
It was covered in our discussion with our Supervisor. This was a crew mechanic in the past, but was not optional this year.

This is solely based on my travels, observations and discussions with numerous first and second year MiLB umpires and a couple AA and AAA umpires throughout this season:

Although we hear the terms "PBUC says" and "ML says" and "According to (fill in the blank)", these entities don't really "say" much of anything when it comes to mechanics outside of their published guides; and, for the most part, they really don't say much to the public at all.

I have seen many different mechanics this year at the pro level that are not the published "official" mechanic. I've even seen some mechanics change from game to game.

What seems to be happening at the MiLB level is that when an evaluator comes to town, he will often say "Try it this way." This "change" can be based on his personal experience, something he has seen someone do or a discussion among evaluators after an issue of some kind has come up. It can even be based on the physical attributes of the umpire.

It is rarely a case of PBUC offically putting out the word that they are officially changing something. The evaluators try to help individuals find the way something works best for them, within, of course, professional standards. The desired results of any change, however, continues to include providing the crew with the best opportunity, within the limitations of their numbers (two man, three man), to get the call right.

Mechanics are dynamic at the pro level. Tinkering is constant and, surprising to me, umpires are encouraged, to a point, to instill some of their personality into their calls and mechanics.

In your situation, most likely U2 or the crew chief decided to try something. They may or may not keep it.

Such as height (only PU perhaps) or what else, dare I say it?

Weight? So PBUC is willing to address overfat as an issue. Welcome to reality.

:confused:

Plausible deniability, a Nixon-Watergate thing?

:confused:


Professionals have personality, tinker and constantly adjust. Robots don't.

You seem very preoccupied with weight issues.

Wow. I hadn't seen that remark.

Nothing in my post was intended to as a comment on weight. I never heard a comment about that from umpires or PBUC evaluators this summer. Not only is he preoccupied with weight...he picked that one out of "thin" air.

My guess is that it's a veiled slight of either SDS and / or BigUmp. (If it's not, I apologize, but he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt). This one was so veiled that I let it go.